January 20, 2023

Applications Open for Loan Repayment Program



You can now submit your application for the CalHealthCares Loan Repayment Program. CalHealthCares provides loan repayment physicians who provide care to Medi-Cal patients. Eligible physicians can apply for an award of up to $300,000 in exchange for a five-year service obligation. Application deadline is March 3, although it is encouraged to apply during the early review period which ends February 3.

Dual Eligible Patients Now Enrolled in Medi-Cal Managed Care



All patients in Alameda and Contra Costa counties who are dually covered by both Medicare and Medi-Cal and were covered by Medi-Cal fee-for-service (FFS) in 2022 have been enrolled in a Medi-Cal managed care plan as of January 1, 2023. This change has no impact on Medicare coverage or reimbursement rates; this change only applies to the Medi-Cal component of coverage for dual eligible patients. ACCMA developed a presentation in collaboration with DHCS to further answer your questions. Find the key takeaways here.

Sign the Data Sharing Agreement



CalHHS has opened its new online portal to allow practices to sign California’s Data Sharing Agreement (as part of the state’s new Data Exchange Framework). Under state law, physician practices and medical groups are required to sign a template Data Sharing Agreement by January 31, 2023. Signing the agreement is the first step in complying with the new framework. Find our brief overview of the framework here. 

X-Waiver Eliminated, Improving Access to Buprenorphine

As of Jan 1, X-waiver is no longer required per federal law. Going forward, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. Additionally, there are no longer any limits or patient caps on the number of patients a prescriber may treat for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine. The new law also establishes new training requirements for all prescribers of controlled substances, which will take effect June 21. It requires all prescribers of schedule II – V controlled substances to meet a one-time eight-hour training requirement on identifying, treating, and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. 

Medi-Cal Rx Transition: Phase II Begins



Phase II of the DHCS Medi-Cal Rx transition began last Friday, January 20. In Phase II—which will be implemented in two waves—Medi-Cal Rx prescribers will again be required to submit prior authorizations (PAs) for the remaining drug classes. 

• Phase II Wave 1 (January 20, 2023):  New start prescriptions in 39 drug classes 
• Phase II Wave 2 (February 24, 2023): New start prescriptions in the remaining 21 drug classes. 

New start prescriptions for pediatric patients 21 years of age and under continue to be excluded to prevent additional administrative obligations for providers of specialty pediatric services who have been significantly impacted by the transition to Medi-Cal Rx. 

CDPH Launches COVID-19 Therapeutics Warmline

 

Call (866) 268-4322 (COVID-CA) to receive free and confidential consultation on COVID-19 testing and treatment. The COVID-19 Therapeutics Warmline is a real-time resource available to all California health care providers and is managed by the UCSF National Clinician Consultation Center. The Warmline is available M-F 6 am – 5 pm. 

Patients Must Receive Medical Board Notice



A new law enacted January 1 requires all physicians licensed by the Medical Board of California to provide an updated “notice to consumers” that informs patients that physicians are licensed and regulated by the medical board and provides details about how patients can check the status of a license or file a complaint. Under the new regulation, the notice must be provided in a language understood by the patient or patient representative and include a QR code that leads to the board’s Notice to Consumer webpage. Learn more here. 

Medicare Changes: 2023 and Beyond



Cheryl Bradley, Associate Director of the CMA Center for Economic Services, joins us to review the policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, effective for Calendar Year 2023 and beyond. This on demand webinar will provide you with the resources to help you maneuver regulatory and procedural challenges that impact your practice. Watch now. CME is available.

New Laws Affecting Physicians 2023 

Tuesday, January 24 | 12:15 to 1:15 pm 

Hosted by CMA 

Join Sheirin Ghoddoucy, Senior Legal Counsel for CMA, to receive an overview of the new 2023 laws that affect you and your practice, pending health legislation, and CMA’s legal resources available to members.  

Register here. 

New 2023 Employment Laws Impacting Your Medical Practice

Thursday, January 26 | Noon to 1:00 pm

Hosted by CAP

Learn about the procedures and policies you need to implement to remain compliant and avoid costly employment-related lawsuits. Join the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) for a free webinar that overviews the new 2023 employment laws medical practices need to know. This one-hour program will address recent legislation affecting wage and hourly pay, employee leave, sick pay, and much more. The discussion will be followed by audience Q&A. 

Register here.

Managing Medicare in 2023 

Tuesday, January 31 | 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm 

Hosted by CMA 

Understand Medicare updates for the coming year, including E/M changes and documentation tips, targeted probe and education resuming, LCD decisions, responding to audits and appeals, Q&A about off-label use, new information-blocking rules and what physicians should know. 

Register here.

Bay Area Reading and Discussion Group 

Wednesday, February 1 | 6:00 to 7:30 pm 

CME Available 

All physicians are invited to join the Bay Area Reading and Discussion Group facilitated by Dr. Hilary Worthen, course director of the Physician Leadership Program. Reading the book is not required. The next meeting of the reading group will discuss the New York Times bestseller "The Culture Code". Tired of reading or too busy for it? Audiobooks are a great way to incorporate books back into your busy life.

Join via zoom. 

Updates on the Legal Landscape in Post-Roe America and the Impact of the Dobbs Decision 

Wednesday, February 8 | Noon 

Free | Hosted by UC Health 

The University of California Health Systemwide Grand Grounds will review the current legal landscape, as well as considerations for health care providers and medical staff as they attempt to navigate this rapidly evolving post-Roe legal landscape. An overview of restrictive state laws' impact on medical education and women's health will also be provided. 

Register here. 

49th Annual CMA Legislative Day 

Wednesday, April 19  

Join us for an all-day event in Sacramento to lobby legislators on priority health care issues. Members who join us will be provided an agenda that highlights all legislative meetings and talking points, so this is a great opportunity for first-timers to experience the legislative process in action.  

Click here to RSVP. 

Health IT: Powering Value-Based Care 

Monday, May 22 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 

Sacramento, CA | Free for CMA members 

Save the date for CMA’s first annual healt IT conference. The conference will bring together thought leaders from across California and the nation to explore the intersection of technology and payment reform. CMA expects a diverse set of attendees that will include physicians, medical groups and IPAs, health plans, health information organizations (HIOs) and others who will take the learnings from this conference to change how care is delivered in this state. 

Register here.